Four killed in violent day across St. Louis

Four killed in violent day across St. Louis

ST. LOUIS – A violent day in the City of St. Louis as police responded to several locations around town for shootings that ultimately claimed the lives of four people.

According to Officer Michelle Woodling, a spokeswoman for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, a retired officer was shot and killed around 7:30 a.m. in the 3100 block of Lackland Avenue.

Retired Sgt. Ralph Harper was parking his car when he was confronted by a gunman. The former officer and the gunmen exchanged several shots. Harper was rushed to the hospital where he later died. The suspected gunmen were eventually apprehended after crashing their vehicle.

Around 9:55 a.m., officers were called to a shooting at the intersection of Adelaide and West Florissant avenues in the O’Fallons Park neighborhood. The victim, a 44-year-old man, suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was brought to the hospital.

Woodling said two men were killed at the intersection of Tara and Eton lanes in North Pointe around 10:15 a.m. The victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Police released no additional information on those homicides.

At approximately 2 p.m., police responded to a shooting in the 4100 block of Kossuth Avenue near Fairground Park. The victim, an adult male, had been shot in the head and was taken to a hospital and listed in critical condition.

And at 3:45 p.m., police were called to the Baden neighborhood after receiving calls about a shooting in the 700 block of Bittner Street. A woman was found dead at that location. Police released no additional information on that case.